The Soviet Sisters

The Soviet Sisters by Anika Scott is an excellent WWII/post WWII era historical fiction that has it all: history, suspense, mystery, intrigue, twists and turns, amd surprises that helped keep me interested from beginning to end. I loved it!

I really enjoyed Ms. Scott’s previous book, The German Heiress, so i was keen on reading this book as well. And what a gem!

Alternating between two different timelines, two different sisters, really kept my mind turning and whirling trying to figure out what details were actually correct, and which details were part of the “shaded” truth. Entering into the minds of each sister, Vera and Marya, purposely kept some of the truths and plot points vague so as to not reveal too much at one time. It really gave me a better understanding of the confusion, political intrigue, double crossings, and the high stakes that were present in the post-war/Cold War atmosphere. The questions that were carried through on what really did happen, and where did loyalty really fall, were finally revealed at the end, and made for a very gripping and addictive narrative.

It was very unique and I highly recommend it for any historical fiction fan.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Duckworth Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 7/14/22.

This was a really captivating story!!! Two Soviet sisters, two completely different personalities, one of them might be a spy, or are both of them spies? Can love play a role in their life? Dare they have a private life? Or is the Soviet Union more important than individuals? Quite an emotional read that got me thinking, that made me angry and sad as well. I really really enjoyed it!
I received this novel as a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley.

I love historical fiction and so I loved this book. It was well written, with a compelling plot with a dual timeline and narrative, and well developed characters, some of which I loved. A really enjoyable read.

Moscow in 1956 just after the death of Stalin, Vera, a high-ranking Soviet official starts to look into the arrest of her sister, Marya, who is in a prison camp in Siberia. Marya was arrested for spying in 1947. The story follows two timelines and narrators – Marya in Berlin in 1947 and Vera in 1956. At times I found the two separate accounts quite confusing but then this is a book about espionage. I was happy that my confusion was resolved by the end. The two sisters are very different characters and seem to have a love hate relationship. During the course of the book they find out shocking revelations about each other. The account of Berlin just after the war with the divisions and the different ways of life for the German population and each of the occupying forces, was fascinating. I also enjoyed the descriptions of life in Soviet Russia and the political turmoil after Stalin’s death were. Thanks to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for the ARC.

I struggled a bit with "The Soviet Sisters" due to the politics, plot twists and the fact that you could not necessarily believe what people said! Having enjoyed a previous book by Anika Scott (The German Heiress/Finding Clara) though I persevered and eventually found the novel enjoyable.

The Soviet Union had a hard time during WW2, a lot of it at the hands of the Germans, but they still became one of the powers, with Great Britain, USA and France, managing the situation in Germany and particularly Berlin immediately after the war. There seems to have been very little trust between these different countries, and a lot of double agents and general double crossing. This is what makes the plot of this novel so complex and makes the reader want to reach the end to discover what happens to the various protagonists.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

I found this book completely compelling. Such an interesting insight into post-WW2 Berlin. It takes you on a twisting journey of espionage, betrayal, and the personal conflict between love, family loyalty and patriotism. It’s brilliantly written switching between the first narratives of the two sisters. A genuine page turner which I enjoyed from start to finish.

If you are a history buff or obsessed with historical fiction based on Cold War Events, then this book is one for you.

Vera and Marya are sisters and are devoted to their Soviet government despite all the hardships and despair they were facing as a family. Then Marya moves to Berlin, where she works as an interpreter and falls in love with a British man named Henry. Somehow, Marya ends up being imprisoned in Gulag, a notorious prison in the heart of Siberia and is a prison for war criminals and when the Stalin government changes, Vera would do anything to save her sister from the horrors of the prison.

This was a very different type of novel that I have read. The writing was great and the story is told between past back in 1947 when Marya was having a love affair with a British soldier and present day when Vera wants to find answers about her sister's arrest. The story is also a bit political as well as Vera herself along with her husband works for the Soviet government. The author manage to show the complex relationship between Vera and Marya and also the affair between Marya and Henry. The ending was really good.

Overall, if you like a historical fiction with a Russian setting and based on Cold War then this one is for you--worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

I loved the German Heiress and Anikia Scott dd not dissapoint me with The Soviet Sisters, a fascinating tale of two very different sisters. Told from each sister's angle the story twists and turns, and at times I struggled to keep up as they told such different accounts of what happened to them but the intrigue she creates made me want to keep reading to find out whose version of events was the truth.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Soviet Sisters